This document is a practical manual to assist community-based organizations and coalitions in using voluntary industry skill standards in programs preparing people for success in the workplace and further education. The following are among the topics covered in the manual's six sections: (1) developing and maintaining systems (things partners can give to and get from the system, ways of organizing and managing systems to ensure their success); (2) planning and operating programs (preparing students for multiple future options, serving a variety of populations and needs, strengthening programs through work-based learning); (3) creating curriculum (structuring curricula to prepare students for workplace success, integrating skill standards); (4) creating instructional strategies (instructional strategies commonly used to prepare people for career success, support mastery of tasks and development of competencies, and support contextualized learning); (5) enhancing professional development (professional development approaches to prepare learners for success in the workplace and improve teachers' capacities); and (6) using assessment methods (standards-based assessment, assessment in real-life contexts). Appended are the following: list of the original pilot voluntary industry skills standards projects; resource directory of case studies and examples; list of additional relevant national organizations; bibliography which contains 58 related readings; and list of project advisory board members. (MN)